Poisoned
by pamelamellark
Summary: Modern day AU. Katniss is running from a dark past...what is it? she finds refuge in a new town away from harm...for now. Promising herself to never let a guy hurt her again, she shuts herself away from all her feelings. That is until she meets Cato, a rich, selfish , and cold bastard who can't seem to get his eyes off Katniss, when his parents hire her to be the new babysitter.
1. Chapter 1

Sneak Peek

xx Cato xx

"you don't deserve her"

"…you think I don't know that?"

"then why are you with her.."

"she makes me better, happier."

"you're being selfish, Cato"

"I know but I need her"

xx Katniss xx

I promised myself I wouldn't go back to this, to bad guys. It always ends wrong, terribly wrong. Especially when you try to change them, make them better. You don't realize you can't change them, but they'll end up changing _**you **_because you're too enwrapped in the idea of being the _**different**_ one. I have to get away from Cato, no matter how strong my hunger for him tries to pull me back to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Grocery Store 6:00pm GR, MI

Katniss

Vanilla or Strawberry? These are the real hard choices you have to make in life. I open the door and reach for the strawberry Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I'm about to close the door back when a little hand taps my arm.

"Hi" the little guy says.

"Hi…?" I say back, confused. Who is this kid, what does he want?

"I just…I'm lost.. I was with my mommy and I wanted some Cheetos and so I went to grab 'em and I can't find her now.." he says almost out of breath, with these adorable, big, blue eyes. He has blond hair and can't be older than five.

"Can you help me?..please…you seem really nice" he looks like he's on the verge of crying so I say "Alright, let's go an adventure, little guy". Then, he grabs my hand as a source of security. I smile and ask him his name and age, to keep him from worrying.

"I'm five..well actually, six. My birthday is coming up in a month and I'm Daniel" he tells me like it's the most important thing in the world.

"I guess I can't call you little guy now, huh? Haha, I'm Katniss by the way. So how come you got lost? Didn't your mom notice you separated from her?" I ask.

"No I don't' think so..this is her first time doing grocery shopping" he tells me.

I'm taken aback..that's weird but I won't judge before knowing the reason. "her first time? What do you mean?" I ask.

"My nanny used to do it, but she quit so now my mom is looking for a new nanny but can't find one. I didn't like the last nanny..i really never liked any of the ones we've had. They're old and really mean"

"oh..so whe-"

"there she is! That's her" he exclaims.

I feel relieved that we've found her. I really need to get going. We approach Daniel's mom. She has her back towards us and is on the phone. She has blond hair that comes up just a little above her shoulders. She's tall, wearing a gray suit, and some louis vuitton heels.

"excuse me" I say, tapping her shoulder which makes her turn around.

She turns around and I can see where Daniel got his blue, beautiful eyes from. This woman is very intimidating and gives me the "who the hell are you and what do you want" look. That is until she notices Daniel and asks what happened. I tell her he got lost and she says "He did? Wow, I didn't even notice! Thank you for helping him..Ms..?"

"katniss..katniss everdeen"

"tell thank you Daniel and hurry up, I've got a meeting tomorrow morning, I need to rest" she demands her son and gets back to her phone.

"Thanks Katniss…you're really cool!" he tells me. He seems like he doesn't want to say goodbye.

"No problem Daniel. Take care now okay?" I shuffle his hair and give him a high five.

He turns around and starts walking towards his mom. I also start walking back to check out my ice cream when I hear my name being called by Daniel.

"Katniss! Katniss! Wait!" he shouts.

I whip my head around to where he was and notice him running over to me. I walk back to meet him and his mom. He looks up at her as if she has something to say to me and she does.

"Daniel and I would like to propose you an offer..I'm looking for a new nanny to work at our house, the last one didn't really work out. Would you be interested? Daniel really liked you." She says.

I smile and think about it. I really liked the kid too plus some money wouldn't hurt right now.

"Alright I guess I'll take it. Is it just Daniel I'm gonna take care of?" I ask, hoping it's only him. I'm not fond of children but Daniel isn't bad at all.

"Yes, he's the youngest one. I have two other children but they're old enough to take care of themselves. A 16 year old and a 20 year old." She states. I'm thankful for that and I just hope this goes well.

"Meet me tomorrow at this address, come around 3. We'll talk more about salary and schedule, all of that."she tells me.

"Alright, thanks.." I give her a quick smile and take the piece of paper from her. I look at Daniel and he seems so happy and excited, it breaks my heart. I'm just hoping I don't disappoint him..


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: I just want to give a HUGE, IMMENSE, AND ENORMOUS hug to everyone that is following this story. All your reviews and support mean the WORLD to me, seriously. Keep giving me feedback and what you're liking/disliking at the time. Every review and follow inspires me to write more often! That being said, this chapter will explain more on Kat's past. Hope ya'll enjoy and may the odds be EVER in your favor!

-Pam

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, well at least the ones mentioned in THG. I wish I did though. Unfortunately and fortunately, Suzanne Collins does.

"_I can hear sirens, sirens, he hit me and it felt like a kiss _

_I can hear violins, violins_

_Give me all of that ultraviolence"_

_Ultraviolence- Lana del Rey _

2:00am| Lake house| MI

(Katniss)

I can't sleep tonight. I'm too afraid the nightmares will take over me again. I don't want to see his face, to feel the marks he left. I don't want to remember his smell, the way his cool lips felt against mine.

Alec. I remember the first time I saw him. He transferred senior year. Everyone had been talking about "the new hot guy" since the morning. Then he walked into my English class…and I knew as soon we locked eyes that he would be my destruction. He was electric..magnetic..you couldn't ignore his presence even if you tried. Everyone's eyes were on him. You know what the worst thing was? I knew he was bad for me. He was no good for me. We were complete opposites. I was the teacher's pet and he was.. well he was Alec. Everybody wanted to be around him, everyone wanted his attention. He ignored most people, which made him more desirable; if that was possible. A week passed and I still couldn't get my mind off him. To my surprise, he asked for my notes after school one day. He came by my locker and leaned on the locker next to me.

"Hey, I'm Alec. I'm new here and uh..well I was wondering if you could lend me your English notes? You're the smartest one in our class by the looks of it." he said playfully. He gave a smirk and bit his lip really quick.

I couldn't believe he was here. Talking to _me_. This only happens in movies. So I tried to be strong. To show no interest even though I couldn't dare myself to stare in his eyes because I knew it would be over. I would look pathetic.

"I know who you are. Yeah, you can have them just return them as soon as you can, I have to study." I said as I handed him the notes.

"Oh. Okay well uh, thanks I guess I'll see you around..Katniss, right?" he said with a smirk.

_Damn, boys and their stupid smirks. _

"No problem, Alec, and welcome to Hell, enjoy your stay." I told him with a smile. Then I walked away and knew he was still staring, which made my head heat up.

After that, well he insisted I give him my number in case he needed help with "lessons". So I did and I opened up to him more each time. I became vulnerable. Before I knew it, I wasn't in control anymore. I wasn't paying much attention in school anymore. He told me I needed to change my wardrobe so I did. He changed my style, my life. It all went downhill from there. As months passed, things got more difficult. I started skipping school to get high or/and drunk with him. He had me under his spell. I couldn't live without him. So when we would argue, I would beg him to stay. I would apologize each and every time. He knew he had me crazy. He hit me but it felt like a kiss, left bruises on my body but it didn't matter. Alec said that way I would remember how much he loved me. It was too late, I had lost myself. I wouldn't tell anyone, not my parents or my friends. I was afraid he would leave me. Alec had changed me. All because I had done the worst mistake a girl can make, I fell in love.

My parents didn't know what was going on and frankly, they didn't really notice. They worked all day, went to meetings. Kept me away with money. One day, I was getting ready to go out with Alec and some of his friends to a party. My mom walked in the room as I was putting on my bra. She saw my back..she saw what Alec had done to me. At first, I tried to give her any excuse so she wouldn't find out the truth. Then she called my father and I had to tell the truth. I wasn't afraid of them, I was afraid of Alec. I didn't want to betray him. My parents called the police and..he got arrested. I was sent to rehab after my parents found out I had been having too many drugs and too much alcohol. They hired a psychologist to get me back to who I was. I never saw Alec again and as that year went by, I got better. I never saw Alec again. All I have for him is hatred but I also hate myself because I had been so weak. I asked my parents to give me a year to go live on my own. I had changed, gotten stronger, so they accepted. I needed to get away from the city. Go somewhere where no one knew who I was. I needed to get away from my past. Alec had left his shadow in every single corner in that city and I couldn't bear being there any longer. I moved to Michigan. To our lake house, a place I loved. A place he hadn't been in. But I still have nightmares. He'll always be part of me…of my dark past. He'll always come back..


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I know it's been a reaaaalllly longgggggg wait but I can explain. So, I've moved to another state and I've been busy enrolling in a new school for Junior year. Being a transfer student isn't that great, so pray for me! And I've also been signing up for confirmation classes at church and taking tests. Oh, and studying french. Alright so I'll stop rambling about my boring life and here's what you really want to read.

As always, thank you to every single one of you who supports this fic.

-Pam

Cato

Royal Place Hotel | 7:00 am | MI

I wake up to the sound of construction, actually it's my pounding headache. I sit up and bring my right hand up to my temples. The perks of being hung over: none. I look on the side to find a thin blond with curves and a body that many girls would kill for. She's still asleep and she has no clothes whatsoever. I smirk at the thought of these girls being _so easy_. I mean, I _am_ Cato Reynald, who could resist _me? _I decide to get up before this chick wakes up and starts planning a second date. I don't want to hear any of that bullshit. I get dressed quietly then go to the bathroom to take a piss and wash my face. I check myself in the mirror, I don't look _that_ fucked up, not as fucked up as I should look after last night. My head is still pounding when I go down to the lobby to check out. I go to the counter and greet Roger. He takes a look at me and shakes his head like he does every time I come here.

" , ready to check out?" he asks.

"Yeah, the girl is still up there though, so just kick her out if she's not out soon." I say.

"Do you even know her name, Mr. Reynald?" he scolds at me while he says this.

"Roger, you know I don't care what her name is or who she is. But since you insist, we'll call her hot girl number….I lost count." I chuckle and roger shakes sighs deeply and shakes his head. He passes me a bottle of water and an Alka-Seltzer for my hangover.

"Should I reserve for next Friday again, sir?"

"No, not this weekend, Roger. It's Daniel's birthday. I'm thinking of taking him somewhere since my parents won't probably even remember." I reply.

Roger nods. I slip on my black ray bans and head out the doors. I walk out and the valet guy brings my black Lamborghini Gallardo. Present from my _very loving_, parents. I get inside and start driving home. I stop at the light and a group of three attractive blond girls pass by. They walk slower so I notice them. It's crystal clear that they've already fallen for me and my car. That's what pretty girls want; attractive and rich. God, I'm so fucking bored. It has become so predictable. I've never had a problem getting a girl. I just wish they'd be more…different, smarter. Make you work for it a little bit more, you know? I want to be entertained.

The light switches to green and I press on the gas.

Katniss

Pinecrest Community | 2:30 | MI

I turn on Oak Street and see there's a gate up ahead. _Great_, a gated community. I pull up to the window of the security hut. I look at the stone to my right and it reads: _Welcome to Oak Hills_. The middle-aged man asks for my name and the name of the person I'll be visiting. He has a clipboard and by the looks on his face, he takes his job very seriously.

"Um..I'm Katniss Everdeen. I'm here to see for a job offering." I say.

"May I see your ID, ?" He asks.

I hand him my ID. He checks it and hands it back to me.

"Alright, you're all set and good luck; you'll need it." He tells me without even smiling.

"Umm okay? thanks." I reply. _Huh?_ Whatever this man is talking about just makes me even more nervous and confused.

I pull up the Reynald's home and it's one of the most luxurious and beautiful houses I've ever seen. The exterior looks like it's been ripped out of a _million dollar listings _magazine. Modern and grand. I park my car and get off. I walk towards the entrance and spot a black Lamborghini parked in the driveway. No wonder the security man wished me good luck. These people are drowning in money. They won't hire me, they obviously need someone who's older, more mature, experienced with children. The only reason I'm really here is for Daniel. I saw myself in him at that grocery store. I don't want him to feel the same loneliness I felt back then.

I knock three times but no one answers. I decide to turn the knob and to my surprise, it's open. I step inside and I'm taken aback. _This is crazy! How can houses like this exist? How can people with children live in this?_ Don't get me wrong, the house is filled with the finest décor and the brightest chandeliers I've ever seen but it feels so…cold. Figuratively of course. For a 6 year old, this wouldn't feel so family friendly. It's too perfect.

"Is anybody home?" I call out as I move further in the house.

After searching the first floor, the hairs on back start to rise and I become tenser. I start remembering this TV show I was watching where a rich family would lure young girls in just to murder them. I push the thought aside and as I'm walking, I turn my head back to see if I see anyone in the hallway. Then I bump hard against someone's chest.

"Oh, shit!" I scream and I bring both of my arms up this person's chest to push myself away. The first thing I see when I look up are a pair of eyes so blue, so..unfathomable. This guy isn't a murderer but his eyes already killed me.


End file.
